For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.– Ephesians 2:8-9.

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. Ephesians 2:10

For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” – Hebrews 8:12.

Do You Really Understand the Good News?

God had a perfect plan for mankind.
Being revealed at its perfect pace.
The prophets told of the coming savior,
The Messiah who would bring God’s grace.
But we did not cooperate with God.
We complained and rebelled at each turn.
God’s love, the good news, our redemption,
These are things we’ve not fully learned.

Our sin had separated us from God
For we couldn’t live up to the law.
But His Son died to redeem our sin
And His death reconciled us to God
From the cross, He said, “It is finished.”
And we were no longer slaves to sin
Three days later, He walked out of the tomb
Proved for all time that death cannot win.

 But despite this miracle given to us 
When the enemy mocks God’s love, 
We immediately forget His promises
Or that His death on the cross was enough.
How many times must we read the gospel
To know why Jesus died for us?
Or to believe that for our salvation
His death on the cross is enough?

If we are so unsure of God’s love,
If we can so easily be made to distrust,
If one taunt makes us cower to the enemy, 
Tell me why Jesus died for us.
Part-time faith is not what God wants from us.
He wants us to trust Him completely
 For He knows we cannot be obedient to Him
Unless our will is surrendered freely.
If we really understood what we’ve been given,
Or the enormity of God’s outrageous love, 
We would spend more time thanking God
That the finished work of the cross is enough.
Linda Troxell © 01/18/2021

As Christians, what sets us apart from the rest of the world is that when we first believe in His Son as our savior, God gives us the gift of salvation. Through our belief in Jesus, we are guaranteed a spot in heaven. It’s an undeserved gift that, without faith, is difficult to believe. Just ask any card-carrying Atheist about the gift of our salvation, and they will gladly tell you that it is not only unbelievable but a childish fantasy for those who cannot face reality. 

But then, we would expect Atheists not to believe in salvation through faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus. After all, they don’t believe in God. They still think our entire world, with all its beauty and complexity, including the complexity of human life, happened by chance. Yes, we expect unbelief from the naysayers. But what about us Christians? Do we believe the Good News of the Gospels? This may seem like a strange question to ask a Christian. Maybe you’re scratching your head and thinking, “What? Of course, I believe what the Gospels tell me.” But do you really believe it? Or have you just incorporated the message into your mind without questioning the quality of your belief?

If you’ve been a Christian for any time, you know Christians don’t always agree about what should be believed. One faction of Christians argues with other factions about orthodoxy, which is our faith’s authorized or generally accepted theory, doctrine, or practice. For example, some Christians have a longstanding disagreement regarding whether we are saved by faith alone or must do good works to obtain salvation. On one side of the debate are those who believe we are saved by faith alone. On the other side are those who say we need faith and good works to be saved. Of course, each side has a Bible verse to support their position. 

I used to chuckle at this disagreement because I was unwavering in my beliefs. For me, there was no question that we are saved by grace through faith. I had an unshakable belief that God loves, forgives, and saves us not because of who we are or what we do but because of who Christ is and what He did. I was sure that our salvation is an undeserved gift from our God, given when we have faith in His Son as our Savior. And I believed without question what Paul said: For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.- Ephesians 2:8-9.

But, there were always caveats to my belief in salvation by faith alone. Although I believe that our salvation does not depend on good works, I also believe that God wants us to do good works to express the love He put in our hearts when we were saved. While we don’t need to do good works to become Christians, as Christians, we should want to do good works in the name of the Father and the Son. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.-Ephesians 2:10. If we are not compelled to express our love by helping others, well, I think it speaks not to whether or not we have salvation; we are all saved, but perhaps to the quality of our salvation. 

There is a metaphor I’ve heard more than once to explain the quality of salvation. It goes like this: Some of us are content with merely being saved and will live in cramped trailers in heaven, while those who are saved and live our lives learning to be more like Jesus will live in mansions. I’m not too fond of that metaphor. Will we really have a hierarchy for living arrangements in heaven? It sounds very worldly to me. I prefer to see the difference this way. Some of us are saved and feel no urge to do more; others strive to walk the path of salvation as Christ walked. And I think the difference is more about life on Earth than life in heaven. 

I believe that those of us who strive to be like Christ, to love and care about our fellows, and do good works to help those in need, are happier because we can have a deeper connection to God during the time we live on this fallen planet. Those who strive only to be saved, I believe, have a more tenuous connection to God and, as a result, are more frustrated and fearful. When hardship comes, they have less armor against the call of sin and are tossed about without an anchor, like a leaf in the wind. I don’t know how this plays out in heaven, but I’m sure that any day in heaven will be glorious and profoundly more beautiful than any day on Earth.

But let’s return to the smugness of my unwavering and unshakable beliefs about being saved by grace through faith alone. I should have known better than to be so sure my beliefs were unshakable. Because God took such smugness as an invitation to shake the unshakable. One day God made me aware of the inconsistency between what I profess to believe and my behaviors. He asked me this: if I feel so strongly that I am saved by grace through faith and believe so unshakably that I need to do nothing, indeed can do nothing to earn that gift, why am I always worried about doing enough to please Him? Why do I spend time wondering if I’m serving Him the way He wants me to or if my prayer life is adequate? Why do I worry about whether I spend enough time in prayer or if my prayers are good enough? And why do I fear that I’m not walking in His will? If I believe my salvation is a gift given by grace, why can’t I relax and enjoy my Christian walk?

Wow! What an eye-opener! I know God doesn’t ask questions casually, and his questions always have a subtext. So before I could pursue the answer, I had to meditate on the question. It’s no surprise that my meditation led me to the Bible for clarification. The verses I read were familiar. But I read them from a different lens, giving me a different perspective. From my reading, I understood why our relationship with God depends on our knowledge and whole-hearted belief in the good news of the Gospels. I could see that we can only begin a meaningful relationship with God once we first believe, through faith rooted deeply in our hearts, that Jesus died to forgive all of our sins and reconcile us to the Father; that is, quite simply, the good news of the Gospels. 

We must believe its foundational message fully and viscerally if we are to trust that Jesus’ death paid for all of our sins, past, present, and future. Nothing less will allow us to understand our salvation as a gift of grace from our Heavenly Father, given to us through faith. Without that core belief, we cannot have a meaningful relationship with Him. We must feel free to tell God anything and everything without fear if our relationship is to be intimate. And true intimacy is impossible until we believe that God sees our sins no more. For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” – Hebrews 8:12. And a meaningful, intimate relationship with God is the prerequisite to beginning a lifelong journey of ongoing spiritual growth in the “grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.” -2 Peter 3:18

After this revelatory experience, I understand why and how our understanding of the Gospel story and, Indeed, the New Testament are vital to our understanding of how and why our salvation comes through the death of Jesus. But my fundamental belief in salvation through grace by faith has not changed. Nor has my belief about the role of good works in our salvation. So, then, why did God ask me the questions? If my beliefs didn’t change, what was His point? Well, I think His point was to warn me against equating outward behavior, such as good works, with inward change, such as growth in Christ. While good works can express our love for God and others, it is only our belief in Jesus’ death and resurrection and God’s promises on which we can build the foundation for a relationship with God. And without that foundation, we cannot have the trust required to wholly depend on God; total dependence is what He wants from us. In other words, He wanted me to see that I had not yet received, nor entirely believed, the good news of the Gospels.

So, do I still think my beliefs are unshakable? Unequivocally, I do not. I still believe that God gives us salvation not because of who we are or what we do but because of who Christ is and what He did. I still believe that salvation comes through grace by faith alone, and I still believe that God has prepared good works for us to do after our salvation. But I no longer think my beliefs or my faith are unshakable. I recognize now that I must make room for doubt. By believing my faith was unassailable, I was not allowing room for any doubt and could not acknowledge the doubt I had. Having doubts is not bad; it’s human. Doubt can be a learning tool if we recognize it and then use it to investigate. It only becomes harmful when we are afraid to acknowledge it. That’s dangerous. Why? Because to deny our thoughts, feelings, or beliefs, we must keep secrets from ourselves and God. Our secrets are gifts to the enemy. They allow him to establish footholds in our hearts and minds. I’m grateful God showed me the danger of making no room for doubt before the enemy took advantage of my hubris. 

Part of God’s strategy for bringing me to faith included chasing me down and isolating me to convince me that I belonged to Him. In that process, I went through a phase where I believed I couldn’t be a Christian because I had too many doubts. I thought that “real” Christians had no doubt. God led me to a book called I Believe, Help my Unbelief. (I’m sorry, I don’t remember the author’s name.) I didn’t know then that the title was from a verse in the Bible. Still, that book changed the trajectory of my life. And that verse continues to serve as a quick prayer for me to use when I am in doubt, especially doubt about God’s willingness to forgive my sin and thus to hear my prayers. I think God used this experience to remind me of that experience. To remind me that doubt is not a sin and to keep track of that prayer that has served as a touchstone on my journey. “… But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.” “‘If you can'”? said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.” Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”– Mark 9:23-24.

It is easy, especially for those raised in the church and inherited Christianity, to assume we fully understand and sincerely believe the Gospels’ message. But we need to consider that what we think of as our beliefs could be facts we’ve heard so often they feel like beliefs. So it might be wise for all of us to periodically examine the state of our beliefs. To root out and acknowledge our doubts. If we don’t own them, we can’t talk to God about them (remember, He knows we have them before we know). If we don’t share them with God, we can’t resolve them. Unresolved doubt, like unrepentant sin and secrets from God, invites the enemy to establish a foothold in our hearts. We must share our doubts with God to nurture the intimacy necessary for a meaningful relationship that allows us to grow in our Christian walk.  

Let’s Pray,

Heavenly Father, you are a giving and forgiving Father that we don’t deserve. Please know that even when we do not show it, we are thankful for your grace and patience. It is difficult for us to wrap our tiny brains around the enormity of the love that allowed you to sacrifice your only Son to redeem our sins and allow for our reconciliation with you. Many other options might have been less painful, including just writing mankind off as irredeemable. But because you didn’t, we know that your love for us is bigger than we can ever comprehend. For more than 4,000 years, you have shown us an abundance of patience and grace. We are sorry, Lord, that despite your patience, we don’t appreciate the importance and graciousness of the Good News. It may seem we take your enormous gift for granted. But God, more often, it is that we are flawed and finite beings, unable to comprehend the infinite kindness and selfless love you’ve given us. Forgive us, Lord, for our lack of gratitude, and help us understand the Gospels well enough to be more grateful and appreciative of the gift of Jesus. We ask you for grace and patience for our neverending flaws. We promise to do better, God, with your patience and help. When we are in our right minds, Lord, we pray for your will to be done on Earth as it is in heaven. And we pray for it all in the mighty name of your Son, Christ, Jesus, Amen.

Points for Pondering or prayer

Or

Perhaps for Putting Pen to Paper

Do you think there is a difference between the salvation of those who are saved but don’t do any good works after salvation and those who do good works after being saved?

If you do, write a bit about the difference.   

If you don’t, write a bit about why you don’t. 

What do you believe about a hierarchy in the type of housing we will be given in heaven? Write a bit about why you do or do not think there will be a hierarchy. 

Do you fully understand and wholeheartedly believe in the good news of the Gospels?

Do you have any doubts about the meaning of the Gospel story and how much you believe it?

If you answered that you believe wholeheartedly and have no doubts, write about what you base that belief on. 

And write a bit about how you would know if you were wrong

Write a paragraph about what you believe is the overarching message of the Gospels.